Huskies Track and Field Teams have mastered family feeling

The Huskies Women’s Team enjoys an eighth straight Canada West title.

Track and field might be mostly an individual sport, but you never feel alone when you are with the University of Saskatchewan Track and Field Teams.

It is something you can easily see during the Canada West Track and Field Championships the Huskies teams hosted this past February 20 and 21 at the Saskatoon Field House. Over the course of the two-day event, the Huskie athletes that weren’t competing in any track disciplines or were done competing were moving around to various other track disciplines to cheer on other members of the Huskies teams.

If you were on the floor of the Field House where all the track competition is taking place, it was seemingly impossible to not cross paths with a Huskie athlete. While it looks like the competition floor is large, it feels like the track events are happening right on top of each other as everything is actually taking place in a compressed space.

Thanks to the tight confines, Huskie athletes had no problems cycling from the running track, the sand pits used for long and triple jumps, the throwing area, the high jump area and the pole vault area. When a Huskie athlete sets to do an event, that athlete was usually accompanied by a vocal cheering section. That athlete was not alone.

When the competition came to a finish, the Huskies Women’s Team took home an eighth consecutive Canada West title finishing first in the team standings with 186 points. On the men’s side, the Huskies placed fourth in the team standings with 103 points, while the University of Alberta Golden Bears took top spot with 143.5 points.

Hannah Hagerty (#428) is cheered on by her Huskies teammates.

The family feeling on the Huskies track teams saw the strong team results come from a whole host of individual results.

On the women’s side, the Huskies took the top three spots in the 60-metre sprint. Kailee Woitas claimed top spot with a time of 7.46 seconds just edging Hannah Hagerty, who had a time of 7.47 seconds. Selena Keyowski came in third with a time of 7.51 seconds.

Hagerty, who is in her fifth and final season of eligibility, picked up a gold medal in the long jump with a leap of 6.30-metres, which was good for a Huskies record. The record she broke was set in 1990 by Vanessa Monar at 6.27-metres.

Along with the medals in the 60-metre and the long jump, Hagerty collected a gold medal as part of the Huskies 4 X 400-metre relay team that included Jaedyn McLaughlin, Grace Igbiki and Emma Egert. That foursome took top spot with a time of three minutes and 47.07 seconds.

Igbiki, and Egert would team up with Hailee Woodhouse and Keyowski to take the 4 X 200-metre relay in a time of 1:35.75 to set new Canada West Conference and Canadian indoor records.

Nicole Ostertag won the final of the 60-metre hurdles in a Canada West record time of 8.07 seconds. Olamide Olaloku took the triple jump with a Canada West record leap of 12.73-metres breaking an 18-year-old mark previously held by Janine Polischuk of the U of Regina Cougars.

The Huskies Women’s Team sweeps the podium in the 60-metre sprint.

Woodhouse, who would take honours as the Canada West rookie of the year, picked up a gold in the 300-metre race in a time of 38.34 seconds.

Jason Reindl, who is head coach of both Huskies Track and Field Teams, was named the Canada West Women’s coach of the year, and Huskies assistant Karlyn Wells took honours as the Canada West Women’s assistant coach of the year.

On the men’s side, Liam Oster captured gold in the 60-metre Hurdles with a time of 8.29 seconds. Ashwin Witt topped pole vault clearing a bar set at 4.85 metres, and Nathan Pinno took first in shot put with a throw of 16.60 metres.

Josh Tam placed second in the heptathlon collecting 4,899 points over seven events. Tam also took honours as the Canada West Men’s Community Service Award winner.

The Huskies have built a storied history in track and field. The Huskies Women’s Team has won 29 Canada West titles and seven U Sports championships, and the Huskies Men’s Team has captured 20 Canada West crowns and five U Sports titles.

Most of the Huskies history was built under the watch of the late Lyle Sanderson, who left an iconic legacy as head coach from 1965 to 2004. Reindl, who was a Huskies athlete in their U Sports team title wins in 2002 and 2005, became the Huskies head coach in 2017 and has played a key part in allowing the Huskies to continue to be one of Canada’s top track and field programs. The Huskies track athletes roll with a family togetherness you often find with the best squads in teams sports like baseball, basketball, football and hockey.

The Huskies Women’s Team does a conference champions parade.

Before the 2025-26 season comes to an end, the Huskies Teams head to the U Sports Track and Field Championships that start Thursday and run through to Saturday in Winnipeg, Man., at the James Daly Fieldhouse.

The track programs from the University of Guelph and the University of Western Ontario are expected to be the favourites to challenge for the Women’s and Men’s team titles.

While those squads are strong, you can expect the athletes from the Huskies Teams will leave their marks before all is said and done.

Draper era ends with Pandas

The Howie Draper era has come to a close at the University of Alberta.

On Monday, the U of Alberta Athletics Program announced that Howie Draper has decided the 2025-26 campaign was his last working behind the bench as head coach of the Pandas Women’s Hockey Team and has elected to retire. In the summer of 1997, he was hired on as the Pandas first head coach in team history as they embarked on the inaugural campaign in U Sports women’s hockey.

Since that start, Draper has been the Pandas head coach for all but one season of their existence. The born and raised Edmonton product has guided the Pandas to a record 15 Canada West Conference titles, eight U Sports national titles and the most wins in U Sports Women’s Hockey at 715.

“Though my passion for serving our student-athletes has always been and will continue to be strong, I feel like it’s time for the program to have a new coach who possesses fresh energy, ideas and enthusiasm to help bring the program back to national prominence,” said Draper in a release. “My experience as a student-athlete at the U of A was life changing, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have played a similar role for those within the Pandas Hockey program for the past 28 years.”

This past season Draper guided the Pandas to a 12-9-2-5 record where they finished fifth overall in Canada West. The Pandas season came to an end after they fell 2-1 in a best-of-three Canada West quarter-final series to the U of Manitoba Bisons. The Bisons have since advanced to the Canada West Championship Series.

One season earlier in 2024-25, the Pandas finished second overall in the Canada West regular season standings with a 24-3-0-1 mark. The Pandas would advance to the Canada West Championship Series to face the first place University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. U of A swept that best-of-three series 2-0 winning both games of the set in overtime with star forward Abby Soyko scoring the extra time winners in both contests.

At the 2025 U Sports Women’s Hockey Championship Tournament, the Pandas fell 3-0 to the host U of Waterloo Warriors in a quarter-final and finished the event with a 1-2 record.

Draper, who will turn 59-years-old on April 3, has been named the Canada West coach of the year eight times and the U Sports coach of the year four times in women’s hockey. He was the inaugural coach of the PWHL’s New York franchise in 2023-24 and picked the first ever regular season head coaching victory on that circuit.

Draper has been inducted into the Alberta Hockey and City of Edmonton Sports Hall of Fames. With the 2002-2007 Pandas hockey dynasty teams that won five national titles and six straight Canada West championships, Draper was inducted with those squads to the U of A Sports Wall of Fame. From the start of the 2001-02 campaign, Draper coached the Pandas through an undefended streak that lasted 110 games and included 109 wins, one tie and three U Sports championships.

He earned the University of Alberta Alumni Excellence Award in 2007.

In 2025, Draper was given the Hockey Canada Gordon Jukes Award for outstanding contribution to the development of amateur hockey in Canada at the national level.

To go along with his time with the Pandas, Draper has extensive international coaching experience. He guided Team Canada to a gold medal at the 2022 World Under-18 Championship in Wisconsin. He has also spent time as an assistant coach with Canada’s Women’s National Team and was the head coach of the 2013 Canadian FISU Team in Trentino, Italy.

Before his coaching days, Draper was a defenceman on the U of A Golden Bears Men’s Hockey Team from 1985 to 1990 playing under head coaches in the iconic Clare Drake and Billy Moores. Draper helped the Bears win the University Cup as U Sports champions in 1986, which was ultimately Drake’s last national championship win with the team. Draper also helped the Bears win the Canada West title in 1989.

The U of A will conduct a nation-wide search to find the next head coach of the Pandas hockey program later this spring.

Illness causes absence

It is never fun being sick.

I admit I have been down with a hanging around illness, which has kept me off here. My last previous post came back on February 18.

I got it around February 19, while cleaning up after a big snowfall here in Saskatoon. I thought I got over it on February 21, but it came back after finishing up the big snowfall clean up a day later.

The illness is now down to congestion and a cough. I suspect I am dealing with a bacterial infection. I tried to go see a doctor once to get an antibiotic to deal with this, but the medical clinic was overflowing with people who were under the weather, so I elected to try and ride this out.

I am pretty much over the illness now, so hopefully, I will have clear sailing ahead.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Last dance underway for Grassick with Huskies

Gage Grassick sets to make a pass for the Huskies in a game last Nov. 

The last time is now Gage Grassick, when it comes to her career with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Women’s Basketball Team.

Entering the current 2025-26 campaign, the 23-year-old fifth-year point guard has cemented herself as one of the all-time greats in the history of the Huskies program. The Prince Albert product is playing her final U Sports season and is living up to the lofty heights she established in the past.

In helping the Huskies get out to a 10-0 start in regular season play, Grassick is averaging 18.3 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game. Her points per game total ranks second in the Canada West Conference, and her assists per game total tops the conference.

The Huskies regular season resumes on January 9, 2026, when they travel to Edmonton to face the U of Alberta Pandas (10-0). If the Huskies make it back to the U Sports title game looking to repeat as champs, that contest will be played on March 8, 2026 at the Universite Laval in Quebec City. Grassick’s time as an active player with the Huskies is limited to about two-and-a-half months, and that reality is in the back of her mind.

“It is so special being able to play on a team like this for five years,” said Grassick. “I was a COVID kid, so this is my sixth year on the team.

“It is just so special. Something like this you never want to give up. This team, this culture, the atmosphere, the coaches just make you better every single game (and) every single practice.

“Now that it is kind of nearing the end, it is one of those things that you don’t really think about, but you’re just so grateful for every moment.”

This story of mine appeared in the Prince Albert Daily Herald. To read the full article, feel free to click right here.

Huskies will be strong hosts for U Sports women’s nationals

Dogs fall 2-1 in OT to Pandas in glimpse of the future

The Huskies take the ice for their game on Saturday.

Believe it or not, it is possible in the world of sports to play well and lose.

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies Women’s Hockey Team lived out that notion on Saturday night in a U Sports regular season contest at Merlis Belsher Place. The Huskies took on the University of Alberta Pandas, who are always in contention for Canada West Conference and U Sports championship titles.

The Huskies led 1-0 thanks to a second period goal from right-winger Kelsey Hall, and they took that advantage well into the third period. With 6:23 remaining in the third, centre Allison Reich potted the equalizer for the Pandas that evened the score at 1-1. Pandas captain Izzy Lajoie knocked home the winner 2:36 into overtime to give the visitors a 2-1 victory in a game played before 350 spectators.

Captain Izzy Lajoie scored the OT winner for the Pandas.

The Pandas improved to 8-2 with the win, while the Huskies record moved to 7-2-1.

In defeat, the Huskies showed they are worthy of being the host team for this season’s U Sports Women’s Hockey Championship Tournament, which runs March 14 to 17, 2024 at Merlis Belsher Place. At that event, the Huskies will face teams that are the same caliber as the Pandas.

No matter who you cheer for, Saturday’s clash between the Huskies and Pandas will be the types of games you will see U Sports nationals. That means ticket buyers are going to see a lot of great hockey at that championship tourney.

The Huskies and Pandas entered their encounter on Saturday after the two side met one night earlier where U of S pulled out a 2-0 victory at Merlis Belsher Place. In that clash on Friday, Huskies all-world netminder Camryn Drever made 35 saves to pick up her 11^th career shutout in regular season play.

The Pandas celebrate their OT win on Saturday.

Due to the fact the Pandas came out on the wrong side of the scoreboard on Friday, it was safe to think they would come out with a big push at the start of Saturday’s clash. The Huskies were the ones that came flying out of the gate.

After the first 6:03 of the opening frame, the Huskies recorded the game’s first eight shots on goal. They also had the Pandas pinned in their own zone for much of that time.

Shortly after that first surge, the Huskies looked like they were about to get the game’s first goal. Pandas second year netminder Misty Rey had troubles playing the puck in her own end, and a panic scramble ensued around the U of A net that kept the puck out of the goal.

Rey and the Pandas proceeded to settle down after that near mishap and worked their way back into the game. After the first period, the game was scoreless with the Huskies holding an 11-9 edge in shots on goal.

Kelsey Hall gave the Huskies a 1-0 lead in the second period.

When two good teams are playing each other, there are going to be momentum swings. While the coaching staffs on both sides would be making adjustments in the first intermission, the coaches on both sides had to be OK with the scoreless tie.

At the 8:19 mark of the second, the Huskies broke through on the scoreboard, when Hall put home a shot to the top right corner of the net on a rush down the left wing. Defender Shelby Williamson picked up an assist on the play.

The Huskies proceeded to control the majority of the play from that point in time until the end of the frame. The Pandas had stretches were they got trapped in their own zone.

Misty Rey stopped 29 shots in goal for the Pandas.

The hosts continued to hold an edge in play for the first 14 minutes of the third.

The Pandas gained traction thanks to a positive bounce break that resulted in Reich’s equalizer. As the visitors started to apply pressure in the U of S zone, the puck to a strange bounce off the boards behind the Huskies net right to Reich, who was alone in close at the right side of the U of S goal.

Reich popped home the equalizer, which was her first goal of the campaign, to even the score at 1-1. From that point, the Pandas had extra life and controlled play for the rest of the frame.

Hall did have a chance to put the Huskies back out in front with a drive from the right slot only to be denied by Rey.

Camryn Drever makes one of her 28 saves for the Huskies.

The two sides would head into a three-versus-three overtime period. In overtime, the Pandas converted a difficult play to get the winner on Drever.

Pandas centre Natalie Kieser had the puck at the left boards in the Huskies zone. She floated a pass to the front of the U of S net and Lajoie ended up deflecting that pass out of the air into the Huskies net to win the game.

Usually to get a goal past Drever, teams are going to have to convert a difficult or special type of scoring play. That was what the Pandas did to obtain victory.

Drever turned away 28 shots to take the extra time setback in goal for the Huskies. Rey stopped 29 shot to pick up the win in net for the Pandas.

Isabella Pozzi is the Huskies steady fifth-year defender.

The Huskies now head on the road to face the U of Calgary Dinos in Calgary this coming Friday.

The Pandas return home this coming Friday to host the defending U Sports champion Mount Royal University Cougars.

Besides being a worthy host for the U Sports championship tournament, the Huskies are contenders to with the Canada West Conference title. They made the Canada West Conference championship series in 2022 falling to the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds.

The Huskies proceeded to capture a bronze medal at the U Sports Championship Tournament held that year in Charlottetown, P.E.I. They still have a large number of veterans that were part of that post-season run in 2022. 

Fifth-year winger Kara Kondrat plays with poise and control.

That includes steady fifth-year players in winger Kara Kondrat and defender Isabella Pozzi. 

The Huskies have been without fifth-year forward Kennedy Brown due to injury so far this season, and Brown has developed a history of coming up clutch in post-season games.

Of course, the Pandas and Cougars will be considered contenders for the Canada West title too. At the moment, the 10-1-1 Thunderbirds have to be the clear favourites to win the Canada West championship for a third straight season.

The Thunderbirds have outscored their opposition 59-16, and their roster currently contains the top eight scorers in the conference.

The Huskies will have a say in how the 2023-24 campaign plays out.

Still, the Huskies are a battle tested bunch. They play with some pretty good poise and togetherness. The Huskies will play a role in determining how the 2023-24 campaign ultimately unfolds.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Shooting from the hip on Bell Let’s Talk day

A display featuring a Bell Let’s Talk toque.

Forget getting out of the starting block, I wasn’t even in the starting block waking up this morning when it came to writing my annual column for Bell Let’s Talk day.

Usually, I have column done ready to go live with pictures when Bell Let’s Talk day begins. After checking messages and taking care of some other work related tasks, I am getting down to work on a piece in earnest at 3 p.m. All of sudden, I am having trouble with my printer/scanner system, and I spend three hours dealing with that to delay things further.

As they say, better late than never.

As a result of those things, this is will be more kind of a “shoot from the hip” type piece.

On my own front, I have known I have battled with issues dealing with anxiety since 2012. I write about my experiences on the mental health front in hopes it will help others.

Since 2016, I’ve kept up with a tradition where I write a post regarding mental health on Bell Let’s Talk day.

There is still a stigma around mental health issues, and they are unfortunately still treated as the elephant in the room in too many circles.

On my own front, I am in a way better place than I was 10 years ago. I am in a way better spot than I was six years ago.

Abby Soyko heads down ice on a rush for the Pandas.

Actually in the current day, my day to day dealings on the mental health front are likely not that sexy or exciting. I am kind of in the place where I deal with the issues of the day as they come up.

Basically, it often comes from prioritizing what I believe needs to be done and just handling things one day at a time. If something expected comes up that is out of your control that you need to adjust to, you make adjustments.

My world since Thursday has been consumed with putting together hockey stories and columns that had deadlines that needed to be met. All of that work was fun, but I had to push back typing this column out.

I got to see a long time friend in Prince Albert product and University of Alberta Pandas Women’s Hockey Team right-winger in Abby Soyko on Saturday. Due to how the world has played dealing with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that gripped the world in earnest in March of 2020, I hadn’t seen her since crossing paths at a Raiders WHL hockey game in Prince Albert in late December 2019.

We had a great visit after the Pandas downed the host University of Saskatchewan Huskies 3-1 in a U Sports regular season contest at Merlis Belsher Place, and I put together a catch up feature story on her. That piece has been the most viewed post I’ve created on this blog for the last two years.

I also got to chat with Raiders all-time great Dan Hodgson for a story for the Prince Albert Daily Herald about him getting a licensed NHL hockey card. The chat with Hodgson was great, and it is always a highlight any time I can talk to members of the Raiders 1984-85 WHL and Memorial Cup championship team.

As I type this, I wonder what will await me when I tackle messages related to work on the non-hockey front I’ve checked minimally the last few days. I am hoping to get the remainder of the photos I took at the Pandas/Huskies hockey game edited and a small grouping of photos edited for another work-related project done.

I’ve been busy the last few days writing hockey stories and columns.

Those types of things provide what I would grade as standard anxiety for me, but I am confident I will get to them in due time.

One of the things I’m still bad with in day-to-day happenings is shutting out outside noise. If I have phones and social media lines turned off, it usually means I am focusing on work I feel I really need to get done but haven’t due to interruptions. Outside of that, I am likely working out.

As far as shooting from the hip goes, I didn’t really know what I was going to say for this column. A lot of years I have a focused theme as opposed to just going in random directions as I type.

I like today a lot, because I see it gives people freedom to come forward to share their own stories of challenges on the mental health front. I find that part to be extremely helpful and educational for me.

Having worked in the mainstream media, I know this isn’t a great day for a lot of people. In recent years, Bell Canada, which is the telecommunications company that run Bell Let’s Talk day, has had a habit of releasing employees in the months after the company’s mental health awareness and fundraising day.

Any time Bell Canada cuts jobs, the term “Bell Let’s Cut” is inevitably brought up.

I’ve had friends who have been axed by Bell Canada as part of the cuts that have come shortly after Bell Let’s Talk Day in recent years. I saw a post on Twitter from former TSN broadcaster Dan O’Toole asking people to not include him in anything regarding Bell Let’s Talk day due to that day being hard. Bell Canada runs TSN, and O’Toole was released following Bell Let’s Talk day in January of 2021.

Me stationed up in my work perch at the SaskTel Centre.

I met O’Toole along with Jay Onrait at a Saskatchewan Rush NLL home game in April of 2017. 

I had a long visit with them, and you wouldn’t have known we just met. They were outstanding with everyone they met that night.

I decided to keep writing posts on this day, because of the awareness it brings to mental health issues. I know this can be a painful time for friends that used to work for Bell Canada. 

Those cuts have caused people that used to support Bell Let’s Talk day to find other avenues to support charities that assist with mental health causes.

For me, it is fine if you choose to participate in some way on Bell Let’s Talk day, and if you chose not to participate, that is fine too. I am not going to judge anyone.

Since the earnest onset of the COVID-19 pandemic March of 2020, I found the overall toxicity and just plain meanness in the world to have been increased to the highest levels I’ve ever seen in my life. The Twitter social media platform is by far the worst when it comes to encountering people who are toxic.

I try to avoid that type of noise as much as possible, but it is only human to be dragged into it from time to time.

I just hope you are all trying your best to find your way. I am always open for talks about mental health, and I am willing to listen. I know that is not for everyone too.

A picture of myself after finishing a workout.

For myself, I just try to get a little better each day. I hope everyone out in the world can find positive ways to navigate their respective mental health journeys.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com. My Bell Let’s Talk post from last year called “Riding hamster wheel is not always good for mental health – Excusing yourself even for a short time is good for soul” can be found by clicking right here. A piece from 2021 called “COVID-19 pandemic forces world to face mental health” can be found by clicking right here. A piece from 2020 called “A big mental health challenge is learning to take a break” can be found right here. A piece from 2019 called “Those facing mental health challenges can still be great in all parts of life” can be found right here. A piece from 2018 called “Being content can become a mental health challenge” can be round right here. A piece from 2017 called “Recognizing and respecting triggers is key for mental health” can be found right here. A piece from 2016 called “Feeling connected calms the mental health seas” can be found right here. A piece called “My Mental Health Story” can be found right here. Another post I like that I wrote in February of 2015 about my mental health journey call “Huskies hockey was good for me” can be found right here.

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Soyko takes long and winding road back to hockey

P.A. Bears all-time great makes strong comeback with Pandas

Abby Soyko is putting up points with the Pandas.

Abby Soyko was never going to give into the setbacks in her hockey career even when they came in bunches and were often out of her control.

The 21-year-old alumna of the Prince Albert Northern Bears under-18 AAA female hockey team experienced enough downs over a two-year period that would have knocked most out of the sport and into another stage of their lives. The string of adversity for Soyko started in earnest in April of 2020.

Having finished playing one season with the Northern Alberta Xtreme under-18 female prep team in Edmonton, Soyko was finishing up her Grade 12 studies in high school and looking forward to joining the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns Women’s Hockey Team in September of 2020 along with one of her triplet sisters in Alli. The two sisters had played together on the Xtreme and the Bears.

On April 20, 2020, the University of Lethbridge axed the Pronghorns Men’s and Women’s Hockey team’s due to budget cuts. On May 28, 2020, Abby found a new team and she officially joined the storied University of Alberta Pandas Women’s Hockey Team.

Abby Soyko went over two years between competitive games.

With the world in the grips of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Pandas weren’t able to take the ice for game action in 2020-21 due to the Canada West Conference cancelling its season and U Sports cancelling all its national championships.

 In June of 2021, Soyko tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her knee and had to undergo reconstructive surgery. Due to the one year long rehabilitation to it took to comeback from that injury, Soyko was forced to miss the 2021-22 campaign, when all leagues under the U Sports umbrella returned to action.

Even during the worst of the down times, Soyko was not going to give up on playing hockey.

“I just always knew that hockey is what I wanted to do,” said Soyko, who also took part in lacrosse and track and field growing up in P.A. “I just kind of looked at this as more opportunity to just focus on my school and just rebuild myself kind of from the ground up.

Abby Soyko missed the 2021-22 season rehabbing a knee injury.

“I just kind of changed from how I was from (under-18 hockey) to how I am now, because in my opinion, I think I’m a more well-rounded player than I was in (under-18). I just kind of tried to rejuvenate myself.”

These days, Soyko is well into her first season playing full-time with the Pandas. In 20 regular season games with the Pandas, the power forward sits fifth in team scoring with seven goals and six assists for 13 points.

Taking up position on the right wing, Soyko had a goal Saturday helping her Pandas down the host University of Saskatchewan Huskies 3-1 in a U Sports regular season game played before 626 spectators at Merlis Belsher Place. In skating through her first campaign with the Pandas, Soyko is focused on improving and admits she still had to go through her on-ice growing pains with regards to adjusting to the game at the university level.

“I feel like I’ve had my ups and downs,” said Soyko, who stands 5-foot-4. “I expected that completely.

The first U Sports team Abby Soyko committed to folded.

“My coach Howie (Draper) has been really understanding and just really pushing me to be better. That has been really helpful in my mental block. He made it kind of easy for me actually.”

Draper, who has been the Pandas head coach since U Sports started awarding national titles for women’s hockey in the 1997-98 campaign, said one of Soyko’s biggest moments this season was when she scored in the team’s first regular season game back on September 30, 2022. Soyko netted the Pandas first goal of a 3-2 overtime victory over the Mount Royal University Cougars at the Clare Drake Arena in Edmonton.

The tally was a nice one too. Soyko took a drop pass from linemate Megan Wilson at the top of the left faceoff circle in the offensive zone, passed the puck to herself around a Cougars checker and roofed home a shot short side to the top left corner of the Mount Royal goal.

Soyko came to the Pandas with a reputation for putting up points. She is the all-time leading scorer with her hometown Bears piling up 128 points on 65 goals and 63 assists in 136 career regular season games played over five seasons from 2014 to 2019. Soyko is still the ninth all-time leading scorer in the history of the Saskatchewan Female Under-18 AAA Hockey League.

Abby Soyko scored a goal in her first U Sports game.

During her one season with the Xtreme, Soyko topped her team in scoring posting 14 goals and 13 assists for 27 points in 23 games.

When Soyko scored her first goal with the Pandas, she had gone over two-and-a-half years without playing in a competitive regular season or post-season contest. Draper said you could tell it meant a lot for Soyko to get that first goal after all that she had been through.

“It was great to see her score the goal,” said Draper, who has guided the Pandas to all eight of their U Sports national championship wins. “She hadn’t done it in a while.

“She kind of mimicked pulling the monkey off her back. That is the kind of person she is. She got really excited, and we all got excited for her.

“She is going to have a great career here.”

Abby Soyko is the P.A. Northern Bears all-time leading scorer.

When Soyko was dealing with her two-year stretch of multiple adversities, Draper was certain she would be playing full time for the Pandas one day. Draper said Soyko’s passion for the game is too strong to give up on it.

Last season when she was rehabbing her knee, Draper said Soyko was as locked into the game as the players that were on the ice for the Pandas were. The legendary Pandas bench boss said he could feel Soyko’s energy coming from the stands.

Draper said Soyko helped out with statistics and gave good feedback to her teammates trying to help guide them towards a win.

Now that Soyko is on the ice playing for the Pandas, Draper said she aids the team in so many ways.

The Pandas celebrate Abby Soyko’s first period goal on Saturday.

“I think one of the things that we were missing last year was just an extra threat offensively, and she provides that threat,” said Draper. “You can see how she can drive the puck to the net.

“She has tremendous power and the ability to explode just from a standstill and get around the corner. She has a great shot. She is tough and rugged.

“When she plays the game, she doesn’t play it in a dirty way by any stretch. It wasn’t lucky what happened down in Lethbridge with them losing their program, but we were extremely lucky to have her come to us.”

Soyko is happy she has landed on her skates with the Pandas. The opportunity to join U of A’s perennial powerhouse women’s hockey squad kind of came out of the blue.

After the Pronghorns folded, Soyko said things were quiet on the hockey front as restrictions to combat the COVID-19 pandemic had shut down large aspects of life in North American and the world. One day, Soyko got a call from her head coach with the Xtreme in Tyrel Spitzer asking if she wanted to go to the U of A and play for the Pandas.

Abby Soyko has seven goals and six assists in 20 games this season.

The wheels were put in motion from there, and Soyko officially joined the Pandas about a couple of days later. She said it meant a tonne to have her teammates around when she was coming back from her knee injury.

“Everyone was there for me when I was struggling with just not being on the ice,” said Soyko, who is an arts major looking to get into the education at U of A. “They didn’t treat me any different from any other player.

“I was just as included as everyone else. My coach made sure that I knew I was still part of everything. We’re a really tight knit group.

“I live with a couple of girls on the team. I didn’t feel left out at all, and they just made me feel really a part of the team still.”

Abby Soyko aims to keep improving her game with the Pandas.

In Saturday’s game with the Huskies, Soyko opened the scoring in the first period and a single from second-year centre Jadynn Morden allowed the Pandas to exit the opening 20 minutes with a 2-0 edge.

Second-year defender Emily Holmes scored on the power play for the Huskies at the 4:48 mark of the second to cut the Pandas lead to 2-1. Before the second period ended, Pandas second-year right-winger Kallie Clouston netted a single to put the visitors ahead of what would be the 3-1 final score.

Halle Oswald stopped 16 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Pandas, who improved to 18-5-1 with their ninth straight win. Colby Wilson turned away 22 shots to take the setback in net for the Huskies, who fell to 12-9-3.

The Pandas return to action this coming Friday, when they travel to Regina to take on the University of Regina Cougars at 7 p.m. at the Co-operators Centre.

Abby Soyko loves how her Pandas are playing overall.

The Huskies are off until Saturday, February 4, when they host U of R at 5 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place.

Soyko said she loves how the Pandas are playing overall as a team and is pumped for what the rest of the season has in store for her squad.

“Coming back from Christmas break, I can say we’re definitely a different team,” said Soyko. “Everyone is on the same page.

“Everyone knows their roles. Everyone has bought in. We’re just kind of flowing right now.

“Everyone is just super excited.”

When her playing days with the Pandas are done, Draper believes Soyko will continue to be in hockey in some capacity.

That led to asking Soyko if she could see herself returning to Prince Albert one day to coach her old Bears team she won a SFU18AAAHL title and earned an appearance at the Esso Cup national female under-18 AAA championship tournament with in the 2016-17 campaign. Soyko enjoyed playing for long time former Bears head coach Jeff Willoughby, and the idea taking on his former role has crossed her mind.

Abby Soyko hugs Huskies centre Kate Ball.

“I don’t know, maybe,” said Soyko with a chuckle. “I have definitely thought about coaching.

“I’m not sure if I’ll go back to P.A., but if need be, I know I could probably make that happen. I have started doing some coaching and on-ice instructing in Edmonton. I definitely could see myself coaching in the future.”

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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CIAU title cemented Cougars as legends in Regina

The Cougars raise the CIAU championship banner in 2001.

For the University of Regina Cougars women’s basketball team, the 2001 Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union championship game was going to be fun.

After getting past the University of Calgary Dinos 71-67 in an all-time classic in one tournament semifinal clash, the Cougars settled in to watch the host University of Alberta Pandas take on the Queen’s University Golden Gaels. The Pandas posted a solid 70-62 victory in the main gym at the Van Vliet Complex on the U of A campus in front of a raucous crowd.

As the final seconds of the Pandas semifinal win ticked away, the Cougars players looked at each other taking note of the atmosphere in the building. Then, a light went on.

Heather (Dedman) McMurray drives the lane for the Cougars.

The Cougars realized the national final was going to be your classic road game against a hostile crowd. When they stepped into the U of A main gym for the national final, the Cougars knew they were going to be the outlaws.

Nobody in the building was going to want them to win. After that tidbit was brought up, everyone smiled.

To be fair, the Cougars were going to be backed by a sizable contingent of supporters. When the 2001 CIAU championship game was played, at least 300 out of the standing room crowd of 2,750 spectators were backing the Regina side.

Corrin Wersta, right, was one of the Cougars top players.

In the Saskatchewan capital, the Cougars women’s basketball team had risen to the status of being one of Regina’s most popular teams.

In 2001, you could argue the Cougars status was at the same level of the University of Regina Rams football team, who fell 42-39 to the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees in the Vanier Cup in December of 2000, and the WHL’s Regina Pats, who were going to host the Memorial Cup in May of 2001.

In 1993, Christine Stapleton, who helped the Laurentian University Lady Vees win back-to-back CIAU titles in 1990 and 1991 as a player, became the Cougars head coach and took on the massive task on rebuilding a proud program that has fallen on hard times.

Crystal (Heisler) McGregor drive up court in the 2001 CIAU final.

Stapleton and her Lady Vees met the Cougars in the 1991 CIAU final and posted a 79-72 victory in overtime. After that game, the Cougars slipped to the status of struggling program.

Arriving in Regina, Stapleton realized the talent existed in Saskatchewan to rebuild the Cougars. She was tenacious recruiter who was able to befriend players and show a genuine interest in their lives.

Stapleton was able to find talented players who were good character persons as well. When Stapleton had to deliver a message that something wasn’t good enough, the players understood where it came from and were motivated to get better.

Phoebe (De Ciman) Haugen had 13 points in the 2001 CIAU final.

The odd time, Stapleton had to give the suck it up and get tough speech. When time came she had to deliver those words, you knew she was right and where she was coming from.

Overall, Stapleton genuinely cared for her players, and the players knew their coach was always in their corner.

On the court, the Cougars played an exciting brand of basketball, where they tried to run their foes out of the gym and burn out the lights on the scoreboard.

Defensively, the Cougars played man defence most of the time mixing in a bit of a 1-3-1 press. The players were so good at one-on-one defence that it became very frustrating to the opposition.

Cougars HC Christine Stapleton call out directions from the bench.

In the 1996-97 campaign, the Cougars made it to first in the CIAU Top 10 rankings for the first time under Stapleton’s watch. They became a powerhouse from that point onwards.

In most games from that point in time, Stapleton just had to turn her team loose and offered encouragement and made adjustments with a smile. She also surrounded herself with great assistant coaches in Diane Hilko and Dave Taylor, which help keep everything moving forward.

All over Regina, hoops started to go up on driveways outside of houses as little girls started to take up the sport to be like the Cougars. 

Cymone (Bouchard) Bernauer, right, drives up court for the Cougars.

It was common after home games playing in the cramped Physical Activity Centre for the Cougars players to be swamped outside of their dressing room by little girls looking for autographs.

The Cougars obtained celebrity status in “The Queen City.”

While the Cougars reached big heights, they still had to work their way through baby steps when they started appearing at the CIAU elite-eight national championship tournament. The Cougars got to nationals under Stapleton’s watch for the first time in 1998 and finished fourth.

The Cougars bench looks on intently during the 2001 CIAU final.

A fifth place finish followed in 1999 before the Cougars captured a bronze medal at the 2000 tournament, which was also hosted at U of A. In the 2000 bronze medal game, the Cougars downed the host Pandas 66-53, so they knew what to expect in the 2001 CIAU final against that same foe.

In finally getting to the CIAU title game, the Cougars weren’t going to be denied. They had too much experience, athleticism and heart.

The Cougars had stars like fifth-year forward Corrin Wersta was the CIAU player of the year for women’s basketball in 1998-99 and sophomore forward Cymone (Bouchard) Bernauer would capture that same honour in 2003-04.

Bree Burgess (#8) had 11 points in the 2001 CIAU final.

Overall, the Cougars had the best depth they ever had in team history in the 2000-01 campaign.

On Sunday, March 11, 2001, the Cougars stepped into the main gym at the U of A and downed the host Pandas 94-85.

The Pandas started the contest jumping out to a 4-0.

The Cougars proceeded to go on an 11-0 run to take an 11-4 advantage and never looked back from that point. U of R’s advantage grew to 50-39 at halftime before settling out at the 94-85 final.

Becky (Poley) Schutz pulls down a rebound in the 2001 CIAU final.

For a lot of the clash, the Cougars held a lead of nine or 10 points.

The 94 points the Cougars scored is still a record for most points scored in a CIAU women’s basketball final. In the present day, the CIAU is now known as U Sports.

In the 2001 national championship game win, seven members of the Cougars hit double digits in scoring.

Fifth-year guard Heather (Dedman) McMurray led the way with 24 points being named the game’s MVP and earning a tournament all-star nod. She kept making free throws inside the final two minutes of the game, when the Pandas were forced to foul to stop the clock.

Heather (Dedman) McMurray (#4) led the Cougars with 24 points.

Fifth-year forward Becky (Poley) Schutz finished her final game with the Cougars with 14 points. Forwards Phoebe (De Ciman) Haugen and Wersta had 13 and 12 points respectively.

Shooting guard Bree Burgess had 11 points. Bernauer and guard Crystal (Heisler) McGregor each netted 10 points.

Bernauer was named the most valuable player of the tournament and a tournament all-star.

McGregor, who was one of the Cougars most popular players, would later pass away on May 15, 2014 after an inspiring battle against cervical cancer lasting over two years in length.

The celebration is on as the Cougars win the 2001 CIAU title.

She was only 35-years-old – a proud wife (of Paul McGregor) and mother (of Aija and Zayden).

Fifth-year guard Cathy Butlin topped the Pandas with 30 points.

With a comfortable lead, the Cougars ensured their most veteran players were all on the court when the final buzzer sounded. When the final buzzer sounded, they stormed the court in celebration along with their family, friends and fans.

The on court celebrations lasted about two hours after the game ended before players drifted to the dressing room to shower and change for the return trip to Regina.

Crystal (Heisler) McGregor leads the post-game cheer.

The Cougars finished the 2000-01 campaign with a 30-5 overall record. They had a 7-0 post-season mark that included a third straight Great Plains Athletic Conference title.

During the campaign, they received key contributions at different times from Rumali Werapitiya, Jana (Schweitzer) Linner, Leah (Anderson) Levy, Tara-Lee Crosson, Kaela McKaig and Sheena Aitken.

Now 20 years to the day of that game, the players from that Cougars team have become successful mothers, lawyers, businesswomen, coaches, trainers and community leaders.

Rumali Werapitiya, left, and Phoebe (De Ciman) Haugen enjoy victory.

Stapleton coached the Cougars for one more season and is now the director of sports and recreation at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ont. 

Taylor became the head coach of the Cougars women’s team in 2006.

The Cougars returned to the national final in 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2013, but were unable to recapture the Bronze Baby trophy as national champions.

Still, the Cougars women’s basketball program continues to be one of Regina’s most storied teams.

The 2000-01 Cougars are CIAU champions. 

To this day, the members of the CIAU champion 2000-01 Cougars are remember in Regina as legends.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com. The video tribute below for the 2000-01 Cougars comes courtesy Becky (Poley) Schutz.

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